Quotes and FB Status

Exchange rate, 1 Saudi Riyal = 11.67 Pesos. 6 years ago, it was 15 pesos. We are improving economically, you think? I honestly point out that lives are getting more difficult, and exchange rate are getting lower and lower.

It's amazing what can I do even given a chance to hold only a piece of gadget in my work. I can connect to chat with my girls, read stats on FB, ör updates of the tweets. I can check my email and read blog entries. Welcome to the new world of Filipino Overseas!

Does it sound interesting that among the 10 Commandments, only one had a promise blessing? "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long..."

‎"For us OFWs, we use our 'lantern' to light our way; to bring us inner joy; to guide our steps in this somewhat dark, unsure (and sometimes hostile) environment. That lantern may well as be our family's hope for the future, the love of our family, our personal dream, our personal faith, our struggle to make life better for ourselves..." - From the Kablogs Journal Magazine cover intro - www.thekablogsjournal.com

Don't feel you have to act differently than you normally would to connect with people, just be the real you, they might like you or not, but at least, you're real.

Exhaust all means to communicate with your families, especially your spouse and kids. They don't just want the money to be happy, they also want your love and your time and expressions.

 I've been hurt more than I succeeded, but I think I am living a happy life.

Someone who use swear or slur words as an expression only advertise their lack or poor vocabulary knowledge. We can be expressive without resorting to those eardrum-popping language. Honestly.

The world may turn upside down, with those I love and care - my family, it will still be a world full of courage, joy, meaning and without end.

I believe in goodness. So bring all the good that you've got and I'll bring mine, and let's see if it will make us all the better.

 ‎'The sweetest and most reassuring feelings of life, the most generous and satisfying impulses of the human heart, find expression in a marriage that stands pure above the evils of the world...such marriage is the desire -the hoped for, the longed for, the prayed for desire of men and women everywhere.' -Standing for Something, GB Hinckley

So many people have so many things to say, we call that, TALK and TALK. A few great men and women does the talking and actually work on those things, and that's what we call, WALK the TALK. So now I feel bad coz, I think I talked a lot, hmmn, I need to work hard. :)

When I looked into your eyes, I knew it was you I'd been waiting for - No sensational revelation - No chocolates and flower fanfares - No dramatic lines. Just love. And your fingers fits mine and we walk hand in hand along the way. (Now a lovely tot holding my other hand...) Thank you for coming.

 an öld friend in a chat message 'ang panget ko na nga, wala pa akong good manners, so ano na lang?' May point siya, di sa part na panget, kundi sa good manners. Lols!

Mrs. Thoughtskoto, my wife, whenever she's happy calls me with different name. sometimes she calls me; Plokplok, Dadaplok, Beavor, Beavoy, Dadaru, Hubski, Kwikwam, Beakbeak, Kwekiro, Doodle...lols! In fact I lost memory of the rest. You can tell, she is always happy, huh! (Wink wink*)

Jebee Kenji Solis maybe small but not his dreams, and his heart.

‎"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." -Pres. Thomas S. Monson

A dashing wife told us today that husbands sometimes lie...like saying their wives are beautiful or a great cook or sexy. She said, those are the lies that she liked the most because somehow she feels good about it. Lols! Very funny, and very...cute!

All that we need is to have an open hand, open heart, and open mind to be filled...so simple as that.

Exactly half a dozen years ago, this very time and very day, I arrived at Carlton Hotel in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. What happened then? Oh, long history... It's not the number of years spent, or number of hair loss, lols, but the many friends we've had all through these years - Wow. How long will we stay here? We don't know.

“Giving a man a fish feeds him for one meal. Teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime.”

By worlds standard, I may not be successful, but my life is rich, and full. I am an advocate of education, a blogger, a chemist, a lucky husband and a proud father. I have a loving wife, and an adorable daughter. My name is Jebee 'Kenji' Solis, and I am a Mormon.

©2010 THOUGHTSKOTO

Ask and You Will Receive

Kagaya ng nasabi ko na, sobrang lamig sa Saudi. Sa sobrang lamig, nanigas ang mga daliri ko na di makapagtype. Ibinubuntun ko sa lamig ang dahilan, 

pero baka ito na yung sinasabi nilang rayuma. 

Translation: Muskhila. (problem)

Anyway, I was talking to a British friend the other day. He was talking about how his experiences as a British Airforce, and now a teacher in a flying school here in Saudi.

"If you want to earn money you have to start working, and saving. 

If you want to be healthy, you have to stop eating junk foods and start eating right foods,

If you want to progress in anything you're stuck into, you have to stop dreaming or wishing or whining and start with a resolution that all things are progressing, and there's no end to everything. The things that matters are the things that lasts. So if you been asking for a long time, and haven't receive the right answer, perhaps its time to examine if the one we're asking is the one that we really need and matters."

I think he was right.

You know, I've been asking a long list of what I want and wanted to be for a very long time.

Genie wish tawag nila dito, sincere prayer naman term ko dito.

(Genie wish, they call it, sincere prayer is my term for this.)

**Handsome Man (Robbie Williams)

Gusto ko maging gwapo, well, sabi ng misis ko waffu na ko, pero di lang wafu, gusto ko din maging macho pa! Actually, matsu naman ako, matsunurin kay Mrs. Thoughtskoto, at sa anak ko, at sa boss ko na walang alam kundi magutos na gawin yan, gawin mo to! 

Sigh, arabo!

Anyway,

sa sobrang daming trials and challenges na pinagdaanan ko mula bata pa ako, naapektuhan tuloy growth ko, yung mga laman at buto, dahil isang kain isang tuka kami, ayan naging epekto, 

maliit na mga hita, maliit na mga braso't kamay, at mahabang leeg pero malaking ulo, imagine niyo na lang ano itsura ko. haha

In the end, kahit waffu ka man or di masyado, kukulubot din naman mga balat natin. Yung fair skin at beautiful face nagfafade. Pero merong mga bagay na naglalast ng panghabambuhay. Yung mabait and may ginintuang puso, a handsome heart that is loving and kind. 

Kahit di man ako ganun kagwapo, basta mabait at matsu (matsunurin) at may good health, 

khaliwali 

(nevermind)

na yung iba, happy na ako.

Miya miya jhamila, kater kuayes hada

(This is awesome, very fine with me)

**Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison)

Si Malakas at si Maganda, naalala ko nung elementary ako, at binabasa ang epiko na yan.

Any guy would want to marry a pretty woman. Now theres a lot of definitions of what is pretty and what is beauty. Truly it is in the eyes of a beholder. But there are beauties beyond what we can see with the natural eye. And perhaps for all the things I've asked, this is the sweetest and most satisfying answer that I got. I've been asking this since I was young and started falling in love.

I asked that the woman I am going to spend my whole life and eternity with will be a pretty woman to my eyes and will keep herself beautiful inside and out.

Naisip ko lang I think yung isang reason na iniiwan ng mga magagandang lalaki ang kanilang mga asawa dahil seguro hindi na ito nagpapaganda, laspag na sa wikang kanto. Seguro di na nga nakakapagsuklay, sepilyo or deodorant dahil sa busy na masyado. 

Naisip ko rin, kaya naman seguro nalaspag na ang misis ng ibang mga kabayang waffu, eh si kabayan ba naman makasama niya sa ilang taong pagseserbisyo, paglalaba, pagluluto, pagaalaga ng mga bata, pangungulit, at katakot takot na problema sa bayaran dito, bayaran duon, at sa utang kay Don Juan nung nagsabong at natalo, at nung nagpainum ng sampung kahang alak sa buong bario. 

Paano pa siya makakapanood ng  "Oprah" or "Kay Susan tayo"?

teka, parang lumabo, pakialam ko ba sa buhay ng ibang mga kababayan ko...

** I Wanna Be Rich Calloway

 Parang lahat yata ng hiling ko pamagat ng kanta. Napansin niyo rin yata.

Sabi ko sa boss ko nung humihiling ako ng salary increase.

"Show me a Filipino who came here in Saudi not to earn good money? The sacrifices and the endurance we have here as we patiently do our job is because we want to earn for our families back home. If you cannot take care of your good men, then how can they take care of their families? If their families are not taken care of, how can they work effectively and efficiently?"

Tumatagaktak ang pawis ko nung nagkaroon kami ng confrontation nung time na yun that should have lead to my resignation. 

Pero mukhang effective, dalawang tiglilimandaang mukha ni Haring Abdullah kada buwan ang idinagdag sa sahod ko. 

haha.

Ngayon nagbabalak na naman ako. Pambihira, 15 riyals lang ang limang kilong bigas nung panahon na yun, 25 riyals na ngayon!

Richest is not all material things anyway, and not just money. We can be rich with friends, and great families. We can be rich with knowledge and wisdom that will help us through the uncertain times of these last days. 

But the secret to financial riches is not the high salaries, 

it is in the money management and living within our means.

You might be earning 50,000 pesos a month and still be poor. 

Tadtad ka ng credit cards.

Kain dito kain duon, malling dito, malling duon.

butas ang bulsa

at pagkasahod

lahat pinadala sa pinas

walang savings na natira.

Si misis naman sa Pinas

hala bira!

Bili tayo nun, bili tayo nito

walang natira savings sa banko.

Again it is how we spend the money wisely and saving that leads to richness.

Sarap matulog na may savings, may security, 

may pinaglalaanan ng mga pangarap sa hinaharap.

So ask and yes you will receive it.

Pero ipagpatuloy ko yung sabi nung kaibigan kong British.

"You can keep on asking, but you won't receive it unless you work your part.

It's a partnership. He will do His part, and it has never failed, but you must do your own part. You cannot blame Him for who you are. You are the master of your destiny. He has laid out the plan and the map for you to follow. Don't take the shortcut. It will lead you nowhere."

Be who you are and what you are.

Appreciate and love the things most closest to your life.

and Live within your means.

photo is from godalone

©2008 THOUGHTSKOTO

Sorry, Your Rantings Drowned

I won't be linking him here. He's stalking me. 

I like him as a friend, but for some reason, 

he simply doesn't have the capacity to accept and the powers to comprehend.

Yes, my friend. I was so busy the past few days with my projects, and I simply doesn't have the luxury of time to entertain your cheap shots and losers wail. I was raised by my goodly parents to love my fellow men, and to be kind, and was taught to understand and accept others differences.

I won't quote what you said, what you emailed and posted. 

Your rantings and wailings, your running around wild like you been robbed are drowned by the many positive comments by those who are optimistic, and supportive to our cause.

Mrs. Thoughtskoto  asked me to break my silence regarding this and clarify the matter. Let me just keep it straight. I am not mad at you and your cohorts. This is democracy. Everybody is free, except here in Saudi, haha! :)

"THE JUDGES"

Please do not degrade the judges of our choosing. Their sacrifices and volunteer effort in judging is stressful, and yet without expecting anything in return they did what they were asked to do -to visit one by one the more than 20 nominees and read and judge the content of their blog. You can question the result, but never ever demean people. Everybody who participated in the contest should understand and respect the uniqueness of each blog. There will always be differences between bloggers and blogs. It doesn't mean that because you didn't land on the top 10, your blog is of lesser worth than the others. Every blog is unique, every blog has a strong point, some stronger than the others. Mrs. Thoughtskoto helped collate and finalize the ratings and commented how some missed it merely by points. 

"NOT REALLY KNOWN BLOG"

I can accept that. We are really nothing in the blogosphere. We are just simple and quiet people, doing what we think is best and will cause happiness, writing what we think will inspire others, swimming in the oceans of  almost 20 million blogs. Our data's and metrics are nothing compared to you, but we didn't blog because we wanted to be rich, famous or gain glory. The adulation of the crowd will someday fade away when the fire is no more fanned by excitements and inspirations. But we are here to develop and build friendships, not make enemies. 

"VERY RELIGIOUS BLOG"

I will take that as a compliment. Thank you. 

I hope it is not true that my visitors are offended because of the religious theme and aggregators I posted in my sidebars. For the last couple of years I posted inspirational themes and messages. Never have I imposed my faith and belief to somebody, most especially in the net. I always subscribe to the belief that we are all free to worship and believe according to the dictates of our own conscience and let others do the same. 

But I ask for civility and tolerance.

You can laugh at my grammars, and my postings but

NEVER EVER DEMEAN MY FAMILY AND MY PERSONAL BELIEF especially my religion.

Whatever you say or do, reflects the kind of person you are. Demeaning other people's most sacred and deeply held association, values and beliefs show the poor if not the lack of judgement on your side. Sorry to say that. Prove me it's wrong.

Sorry your rantings drowned. See the link below of some of the many people who commented about the blog awards.

"Congratulations to the winners of the Best Blogs in 2008 by OFW or Expat..." - Ellen Tordesillas, 

 "The 2008 Top 10 Filipino Expats and OFW Bloggers, Congratulations po!!!" - Iva Borja, TheFilipinoWeb, 

 Congrats! Pinoy Expats/OFW Blogger - Mabuhay!." - Everlito Villacruz, 

 "This is the Top Pinoy Expat’s blog for 2008! … To the people behind this, my readers, please accept a huge though humble ‘thank you’ from yours truly." - Jim Paredes, 

 Congrats for such endeavor. To the judges, more power to you! To the nominees - you are all winners" - Lionel Gonzaga, 

 "Thank You, Shok’ran and Maraming Salamat! I would like to give my deepest appreciation to the organizers and judges of the recently concluded Top 10 Pinoy Expats Blog Award..." Mr. Blogusvox, 

 "I got an award!!! This blog has been judged as one of ‘The Top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog of the Year‘!" Mimi, Sleepless in KL, 

 “2008 Pinoy Expats Blog Award...malugod ko'ng inihahandog ang listahan ng mga nagwagi..." Arvin Bautista, 

 "Thank you very much to all the people behind this PINOY EXPATS/OFW Blog Awards! Mabuhay tayong lahat!" - Nalen Aguilar, 

 “Pedestrian Observer GB on The Top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog of the Year 2008!” – Pj, POGB, 

 "Top 10 Filipino Expats and OFW Bloggers of 2008 announced" - Sophia Lucero, Wordpress, Philippines, 

 "Akalain mo nga naman dibah...mapapasama pa ako sa Top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog of the Year '08" -Enemelyn, Dubai, 

 "Sweetest Blogging Award, This blog placed No. 9! ...how pleasantly surprised and humbled I was!" -Josiet Castaneda, 

 "...gusto ko pong pasalamatan ang lahat ng bumoto sa akin sa nakaraang contest ng Top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog of the Year 2008" - Gigi M. Refugia

©2008 THOUGHTSKOTO

Thanksgiving and Birthday Reflections

Sometimes, 

you are just so lucky that 

Thanksgiving day happen also to be your birthday. 

Double celebration, and a great saving since nobody will come to dine or celebrate with you coz everybody's busy with their own fiesta.

Alright, if you're extra thrifty, 

why not come and dine to your friends houses, 

schedule them one at a time

 and you will be spoiled with all the delicious and yummy foods they prepared

 since it's your birthday!

You know I've been thinking about this the whole week. 

It's great, sound and perfect tips.  

The only thing is, I am not in the US.

So my wife is cooking some cakes, 

brownies, pasta's and salads, and kafsa, and sago't gulaman...whew! 

That's a lot, so come and celebrate Thanksgiving Day and my birthday with us!

You don't need to bring and give gifts, a simple greeting and a catching up about one's life will be enough. 

And yes,  

please

 don't ask for my age,

for cornucopia's sake 

you're tempting me to lie! :-)

I would like to share the great ABE's words when proclaiming the Thanksgiving day every last day of November in the US.

" The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

  It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. "

- Abraham Lincoln 

This is eventually what you look like when you are scribbling keyboards and starting early and staying late at night in the computer. My wife's given me an eyeglasses gift, it is a computer protection glasses and at the same time, you'll just have to look at the sky on a clear noon day, and it will automatically change color turning from transparent to shady black that could protect your eyes to UV and sunlight. Cool huh! 

I have made several list of HEROES and ANGELS several years before. The list eventually expands but I was not able to update it. Much of who I am today is because of these people, one way or another, in small and seemingly simple ways.

We have been touched by many along the way as we move on with our lives. In return, even without our notice, we may have made a difference in someone's lives for good. 

I was telling my wife and my baby who was looking and seems to be listening intently when I made my small speech last night right after we prayed and retire for the night.

"You girls made my life so much happier, meaningful and better because you are there...I prayed for you, and I thank God for you..."

 As I reflect my life for the past two years that I've been married, I know I am so much happier because of this two girls in my life. I also thanked the people that will be too many to mention for the support they extended to me, in my professional careers, my brothers and sisters in faith, my mentors, my fellow bloggers out there.

Just like a small and tiny pieces of sand that when mold will make a strong sand block that builds a house or a building, you are all part of my life that lives, that loves, that learns, and will leave a legacy through your goodness and charity.

I wish nothing for me and my family and for all of us, a trio blessing that I always pray in my heart.

A healthy living

A life full of joy, happiness and peace that we all dream of

and success in every good thing we aspire.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday to me!

©2008 THOUGHTSKOTO

Random Thoughts

I experienced a few minutes rain the other week, and to my surprise, after a couple of days, mushroom started sprouting around our plant vicinity.

You can see the yellowish-brownish Arabian desert sands covering the mushrooms. I've been here for five years, and it's my first time to witness  mushrooms in the midst of the desert. What does it tells us? What does it mean to me?

I am expecting a lot of changes in the Saudi weather and climate this coming month. I am still hoping snow will fall here in the Eastern province.

"Life is an eternal progression if you believe that . We are sent here to be tried, to be tested, to gain knowledge and experiences so when we come to the next stage of life, we are ready for it. Just like our small baby from the moment she was born, till the day she started saying 'papapapa' she progresses. Ironically we won't progress, and eventually succeed by holding on to things. We have to let go some things to pick up new things as we go along our journey."

"I have done some kindness to people, but my heart swells with gratitude for the people who have done so much good to me. In fact, there are many many people out there who have touched my life for good, and make me what and who I am now. I just realize that my gratitude is overwhelming towards them. I cannot stop saying thank you and how grateful I am for the things they have done. That's why the saying "IT'S BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE" is really TRUE. It's better to receive words of gratitude than to have a feeling of owe or debt to someone who have done favor. Of course, we can't do it, we have ask for help, we need others support from time to time. No man is an island here. 

I was reading the BOM with my wife last night and we encounter the phrase in Moroni that says something like this;

"all things that cometh of God is good...

all things that are good cometh from God...

do good continually..."

I would like to leave you that message. How simple, and how true. May we all reflect this Thanksgiving week, some of the goodness we have done and some of the goodness others have done to us.

©2008 THOUGHTSKOTO